Students in the Scholar's Corner program at John F. Kennedy Elementary School pose for a group photo. Fifth-grade teacher Peggy Toscher is in the top row, third from the right. (Freeman photo by Tania Barricklo)

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- John F. Kennedy Elementary School teacher Peggy Toscher's fifth-grade class loves to read, but nearly all of her students say that wasn't the case as recently as September.

Students said they came to enjoy reading through a new discussion group approach Toscher has tried this school year called Scholar's Corner.

"Scholar's Corner is a place where we read books, but not only that, we can express ourselves (about) how we like the book or don't like the book," student Zachary Mott said of what the activity has come to mean to him. "So we can just say what we want, and nobody will make fun of us."

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Several of the students, including Gianna Marie Worthington, said the class has become like their family through the exercise, which came about as part of the district's switch to the federal Race to the Top program.

Gianna, in fact, became so excited about Scholar's Corner that she wrote a letter to President Barack Obama, inviting him to come observe the class. She also took the opportunity to compliment first lady Michelle Obama's inaugural ball gown and warned the president that her teacher is "a hugger."

Toscher said the Kennedy school, which has many economically disadvantaged students, is emphasizing guided reading as part of the state's switch to the national common-core curriculum and the push to improve non-fiction reading among young people.

In brainstorming how best to implement the new approach, the 26-year educator came up with Scholar's Corner, in which students divide into four groups, with each group having to read and a discuss a different book in a corner of the classroom.

"I was thinking, 'How can I invoke in them a joy and love of reading like I have?'" Toscher recalled. "It really took on a life of its own."

The group discussions often extend to literary devices, like similes, that authors use. Also, the students keep journals, write poetry and create projects related to reading topics.

"They're interested in each other's books. They bring up their own poetry. They make up songs and dances," said Kelly Mathis, a resource consultant who brings her students to Toscher's class for Scholar's Corner. "They collaborate with each other in a respectful manner, and some of our shiest kids have come out. ... We watched them come from beginners to bright students."

Several of Toscher's pupils, like Jack Fleming, Juliana Kolziar and Abigail Sinagra, said they actually hated the idea of Scholar's Corner when the school year started, but over time came to enjoy the activity.

"A bunch of kids crammed in the corner talking about books did not seem that fun," Juliana recalled, and Jack said that, even after the first month, he was "ready to protest."

Asked what the group's favorite book topic was, the students spoke highly of works about human rights. Favorites from among 50 books included "Rosa Parks -- Freedom Rider" and "Journey to Ellis Island -- How My Dad Came to America."

In fact, when state Education Commissioner John King recently stopped by Toscher's classroom during a tour of the Kennedy school, students enthusiastically rattled off different rights contained in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Toscher described herself as an avid reader and said it's a thrill to hear students say, "The book was better than the movie."